


1994

by Melinoel



Series: The Ship of Theseus [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, It Can't Be Coincidence That CyberLife Made Connor Susceptible to Deviancy, Life Is Never Simple, One Shot, Prequel, Rated T for language, Tests Are Important Kids!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-05-24 04:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14947350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melinoel/pseuds/Melinoel
Summary: CyberLife has developed the most advanced android to actively participate in solving crimes with law enforcement. Before they can assign their prototype to a police force willing to participate in a pre-market trial, however, CyberLife needs to perform one more test and iron out any glitches they missed.





	1994

The final phase of testing took place in Training Floor G of CyberLife Tower's unmarked Sublevel 50. Four administers donned the uniform appropriate for the makeshift crime scene while three stood behind a two-way mirror to monitor the test taker's progress and aptitude. Waiting for their supervisor and the android to emerge from the elevator made the moderators bored from lacking the pretend police officers' and criminal's luxury of adding more and more complicated obstacles and problems to push the prototype to it's absolute limit.

"Keep that up, Sykes, and the plastic toy will be here for hours," Dunn spoke over the intercom.

The "criminal" extended her arms and puffed her chest in the direction of the two-way mirror. "Hey, fuck you! You're breaking my concentration here!" While she continued to vandalize the scene, she approached one of the administers dressed as a regular patrol cop who had used his waiting time to perform tricks with a coin.

Dunn's blonde coworker, Ryder, leaned on the head of her seat and snickered. "Leave her be. If she's this into the test, it'll make my Friday night of overtime a little more interesting."

Backing away from the intercom, he rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Painting cryptic signs on the victim's wall requires the use of programs that are not relevant to this test."

"I think pointless details and mysteries add to the realism of a crime scene," said the only moderator sitting down and playing with a rubric's cube. "It's good for it to notice and analyze something in seconds that a typical human would dismiss or spend days to think over. One of those obscure pieces of expression could be a cypher to solve another case or to discover the secret location of a crime syndicate hidden for decades. This could be worthwhile practice."

"If a machine focuses on things irrelevant to an investigation, it will adopt that tendency until it becomes ingrained," argued Dunn.

"What do you have against curiosity?"

"Listen to yourself, James! Is 'curiosity' really what we want in an android? Wouldn't an 'observation' program be more appropriate for an android of this function?"

James shrugged, tossing the completed cube to Ryder, who backed away from her colleagues' bickering. "Why not? One can observe everything in a room and lack the drive to investigate without curiosity."

"Give it curiosity and it will find a way to circumvent and defy its programing. The piece of plastic is smart enough already; we need a state-of-the-art, advanced forensics assistant, not an independent investigator without a leash."

After slipping the cube in James' backpack, Ryder spotted two figures and cleared her throat. "They've arrived."

The fake officers assumed their roles as their supervisor stepped out of the elevator. She said something inaudible to the android and pointed to where it needed to go. It nodded and walked to the administrator playing the officer the android as partnered with. Dunn gave a look that promised their conversation is not over, and James smiled, grabbing his tablet and opening the spreadsheet of the android's stats and results.

This model series scored exceptionally well in cognitive and agility tests, but it's marksmanship ranked the highest out of any android made by CyberLife, which infuriated the team responsible for the SQ800 models and demanded a retest. Contrary to their idealism, the prototype performed even better than the first time. Some hoped - and feared - this prototype was a perfect machine, capable of anything and everything it focused on... until the social integration and competency section. 

While it demonstrated how effectively it used its analytical skills in identifying behavior and motive, they did not translate into "people skills". It did pass the Turing Test despite the administrator screaming at the android for making "socially inappropriate remarks" about himself and failing to recognize a pun even a preschooler could understand. "It's a police android, not a host," Ryder had remarked at the time, ducking to avoid a punch her outraged colleague threw in response to her perceived lack of empathy. It took two days of emails between managers and Human Resources to stop the test administer from sabotaging the prototype's slightly below-average score.

As with the other tests, the android showed it knew what features were appropriate to complete the exercise. It identified the two puddles of blue liquid on the table and correctly distinguished the congealed fruit juice with thirium. The moderators made marks on their sheets based on the audio feed and the hidden signals the officers gave to the mirror.

Despite its height of seventy-three inches, the android moved with flexibility, precision, and balance more common in trained athletes and performers around five-and-a-half feet tall. Its feet avoided every spec of dust out of place, and it rolled its sleeves while moving its elbow away from the edge of the fireplace mantel while squeezing between it and an administer playing a regular patrol officer.

Within three minutes of studying and analysis - "Why do our androids run faster than our desktop terminals?" Dunn had remarked - the android got up from examining the victim and reported to his "superior", "Detective, I think I figured out what happened here."

Dunn snorted. "I still can't get past that machine's squeaky voice - ow!" He shut up when James kicked him in the shin.

They, like the role-players, recalled the narrative they agreed upon for the test and anticipated how closely the android would recreate it based off the evidence and its reconstruction feature.

"At 8:20pm the perpetrator climbed over the backyard fence, and he fired a test round behind the shed. The child victim heard the gunshot in the dining room -" The android guided the administers to the room in question. " - and spilled her drink. The adult victim was shot in the living room while the AX400 tried to clean up the mess. It did not complete its task because the perpetrator had entered the house through the living room window and pursued the child and android. They fled to the basement, but he killed the child and deactivated the android before they could open the door."

The "detective" nodded along, following the evidence that would have supported the sequence of events. After marking the scoresheet, he tilted his head towards the fake corpse laying on a gaudy couch inspired by 1950s trends. "Tell me more about the victim."

"The perpetrator fired a single bullet from the backyard that shattered the victim's sternum and ruptured her pulmonary artery." It knelt before the body and pointed at the blood-drenched fabric that veiled a wound from a handgun. "Had the AX400 called the police and had the closest patrol immediately patched the response to the hospital, she might have had a 47% chance of survival. Her medical history of anxiety and asthma diminished her chances."

"Why do you think the perp shot before entering the house?" a freckled administer interrupted.

The android's eyes directed his attention to the window and the sparse dots of glass on the carpet. One administer would have had a shard dig into the sole of his shoes if he did not heed the android's silent warning. "When the window is closed -" it did so "- the hole in the glass, the rupture to the screen, and the wound are aligned." Knowing not to tamper evidence, it pointed to where the body was shot before it slumped into its current position.

The "detective" made another note. "Alright then. How about the moment near the basement?"

It nodded and carried over to the hallway connecting the living room, dinning room, and entrance to the basement. "The AX400 reached the door, but the perpetrator stopped it and the victim before they could go in. There was a struggle - " it pointed to the overturned lamp, broken end table, and a chair missing a leg "- the AX400 pushed the victim towards the basement door, but the perpetrator stabbed it, critically damaging its cranial biocomponent and resulting in its deactivation. Then the perpetrator shot the child between the eyes before escaping through the same window he used to enter the house and fleeing the property. He did not take time to cover his tracks or remove evidence.

"I do not have enough evidence to suggest where he has gone. But if he sought to flee the city, between 8:25pm when he fled the property to now, the perpetrator would no longer be in Detroit." The android concluded, placing its hands behind its back.

The administers and supervisor were speechless. At any time the moderators could contact them via speaker, but not even Dunn had anything to say.

However, the "detective" furrowed his brows upon rereading the narrative he and his team created. The android mirrored his expression. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine," he stammered, clearing his throat. "Just thinking over what you said."

"I'm sorry. Did I speak too quickly for you to follow?"

"Of course not. Although..." the administer glanced at the one detail the android walked over and willfully ignored the entire time. "What's the significance of that symbol there?"

Dunn sniffed in derision. "Don't encourage it, Daniels,” he lectured to the glass, ignoring the bright red speaker button. “It was right to ignore that."

She had had it with her colleague. Ryder smacked the back of his head and sent a private message to their supervisor. "Your commentary is inappropriate."

"No more than Daniels and Sykes goofing off in the middle of a test of the most advanced prototype -"

"It's not relevant to the investigation."

This marked the second time the android stunned the administers to silence. A goofy grin spread across Dunn's face, but James and Ryder noticed the android's LED flicker yellow. They waited until it changed back to a stable blue.

"A test administer drew an obscure logo of a Finnish rock band in the victims' blood to make the perpetrator appear to be an occultist. Nothing about the way the victims were attacked suggests this crime is a ritual killing. Additionally, neither the band's music nor their members hold any ideas that would associate them with the occult or witchcraft."

A notification appeared on the administers' tablets. No one had to open the message to know Sykes was profoundly disappointed her dorky taste in music did not sabotage the android's assessment of the fake crime. Dunn snorted, throwing his tablet across the observation room.

When the officers provided no feedback to the android's theory, it turned to the two-way mirror. "Is that all?"

A series of cracking and popping knuckles broke the silence. James finished his mundane habit and spoke over the intercom. "Yes, but you missed a key detail." He smirked when Ryder nudged a fuming Dunn to not push his colleague away from the device. "The perpetrator was a woman."

Its LED changed to a stable yellow. "The hair caught in the fence belonged to a male human."

"Yes, the criminal is genetically male, but socially a woman," James clarified. "Had the criminal bled, you would have found levels of estrogen typical of biological females."

"How does that change -" It paused. The android opened its mouth, closed it again, and spoke fifteen seconds later, "The perpetrator knew the victims and the layout of the house. That's why the crime occurred in a short period of time and the shots were few and precise." It glanced at a photograph it picked up when examining the broken table from the scuffle. "The teenage boy in the image is now an adult who changed her sexual identity during a turbulent period of her life. The murder may have been motivated by the focused, controlled anger of a disowned child.

"This was premeditated murder. The perpetrator would have been more likely to leave the city and remove herself from reminders of her past, had this been a real crime." The android approached the "basement door" and exposed Sykes. "The test administer holds no such resentment towards her real family."

The officers couldn't restrain their smiles at the sheer confidence the android displayed in its final conclusion. Sykes burst out laughing and dried the fake blood off her hands with a towel prop.

"Yeah, my parents figured it out long before I did, so they weren't shocked when I transitioned," she said with a carefree smile. "The boss didn't want me to play the criminal because it'd confuse you and piss off someone sensitive in HR, but this whole story seemed too easy without my tendency to crash parties. Anyone and everyone could become a criminal on the wrong day, and not all the evidence you find'll be textbook clear. There's always something you'll miss, so keep your eyes open to anything new that can shift the narrative, yeah?"

The supervisor cleared her throat and shot Sykes a look to _please stop talking to the android like it's a person_. Thankful they were far away and separated by glass, James added a similar note in the recommendations section to improve tests like this one, and Ryder expressed amusement from the show.

Sykes didn't flinch at the nonverbal reprimand. If anything, she patted the android on the shoulder, as she shared its height. "Anyway, you passed with flying colors in my books. I know you'll make a great partner to any detective on the field, Connor."

The android blinked and stared at the hand on its shoulder. It didn't know how to respond, but Sykes gave no impression that she expected anything.

The other administers shed their personas and provided feedback to the android, and its response time and reactions were more of what had been seen before one of the administers proudly declared herself a rebel. Some downplayed Syke's comments to not confuse the machine, and others ignored the endorsement for thinking too far outside the box. Once everyone communicated what needed to be said, the moderators wrapped up their notes and waited for the supervisor to meet with them and determine the android's overall score. After she pooled the role-players' thoughts, she entered the observation room, where Dunn and James broke into another argument.

"Sykes is a fucking idiot encouraging that kind of crap! None of that information can be found that smoothly in real life! Not only will it have unreasonable expectations, but now it knows to gauge motive based off details it originally found irrelevant! There are ways to program it to search a room thoroughly without adding the simulation of a counterintuitive trait!"

"Well, blame the big guys on top for requesting us to make an android that you think skirts too close to seeming human."

"Look, if you thought children playing one hundred questions was bad, you're endorsing an android playing one billion questions!"

"Adults ask questions all the time, and last I checked CyberLife advocates inquisitiveness among its employees," the supervisor interrupted curtly. Ryder released a sigh she had held in case her breath provided the fuel the sparks flaring between her coworkers needed to ignite. She greeted her boss when James and Dunn continued to glare at each other. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?" she stood between the pair with her arms crossed.

"All I'm saying is we need to carefully choose what features and behaviors we want this prototype to have before it plays an active role androids have never taken before in law enforcement," pleaded Dunn

James shook his head, insisting if not pleading, "But it needs to be an android that can assimilate into any law enforcement team with uncanny finesse, which it still can't after what happened during the Turing Test."

"Yes, because being socially competent is the only way for machines to overpower us, right? This model can wield guns, know everything in a room the millisecond it walks inside, and prioritize conflicting orders at will. Boss, you remember the former CyberLife employee found dead four months ago? Send that prototype to the incinerator so it never sees the light of day! That android will become deviant in a heartbeat and kill people!"

The supervisor turned to look at the android still standing in the middle of the training floor. Most of the props have been moved by the administers and custodial androids, and the test subject moved out of the way when needed. Its expression remained unreadable, but the human could track the most subtle movements in its face, smooth save for the random birthmarks the cosmetic department had fun adding to the "baby-faced badass". Had that employee seen how quickly the model perform could pull a gun and deal a headshot to a target that emerged from its blindspot, he would be forced to create a new nickname.

She continued to study the android as her subordinates gave their assessments. James said the prototype was ready to be used at the disposal of a handful of officers in the Detroit Police Department. Dunn didn't need to make his opinion known, and Ryder recommended assigning only one model to ensure constant and focused oversight of its computing, integrity, software, and stress from the AI and human support team. Assembling all the different perspectives to determine how confident they were in this android, the superior found three shared Ryder's opinion, two shared James', and two shared Dunn's. While she would make the final choice, the supervisor weighed the reasons that supported each employee's assessment.

Of course, no matter how many carefully controlled tests they could throw at it, none would know how the android would perform in the real world unless they let it out.

A quick signature on the document to forward to upper management later, the supervisor locked her tablet and approached the intercom. The last administer in the room, Sykes shook the android's hand a few seconds longer than usual, a detail someone of the supervisor's status would not catch in a forest of responsibilities and priorities latching onto leaves riding the wind.

"RK800 #313 248 317-50, please return to your maintenance station and remain in standby mode. We will review your aptitude scores and determine the nature of your next test assignment on Monday at 11:00am."

The android lowered its head in a slight bow to the two-way mirror and turned to follow Sykes toward the elevator. It would return to sub-warehouse theta on the 49th floor, where the rest of its models remain dormant and receive patches to enhance and correct information found during this model's testing. With a long day's of work over, the supervisor also dismissed the monitors for the evening before the sun completely sets.

_Clink._

James would carry his house and car keys on his ID slip. Sometimes he'd take them out to annoy the more anal-retentive employees in his department, particularly Dunn.

_Clink._

The sound wasn't coming from the observation room. The chaotic jingle of keys in the hands of the first to be accused proved his innocence. Four humans paused and huddled around the mirror to find the source of the cool, controlled music.

_Clink._

Sykes bore a broad grin that would terrify a hardened, war-weary soldier as she held the door for the android. The android balancing a spinning copper-nickel coin on its index finger.

_Clink._ The coin flipped in the air.  _Clin-ink, clin-ink._ It flew between the android's hands in a blur. Sykes stood still, not disturbing the intense concentration the android had on the coin.

Ryder whistled. "Well, shit."

"You owe me a beer, Dunn," sneered James, slapping the dumbfounded employee on the back.

His golfball-sized eyes watched the elevator doors close on most advanced android returning to the warehouse unopposed. "What the hell do we do now?"

The supervisor had schooled her reaction better than Dunn, choosing to unlock her tablet and adding this incident to the report. She would ensure the CEO and her executive assistant would be CC'ed on the email, now to have "URGENT" at the beginning of the title. Vacation would have to be cut short to discuss how to move forward. 

Once her subordinates left for the night, her lips curved into a bitter smile. "Curiosity kills the cat owner."

**Author's Note:**

> Yay! Connor! ^_^ After bookmarking a bunch of fics about him, I finally take a stab at writing my adorkable badass android son for once!! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ
> 
> ... *calms down to reduce the urge to squee*
> 
> Anywho. Writing for Connor was kinda difficult since I write fanfiction that *tries* to emulate enough of the original "voice" of the characters. I don't always succeed, but it's a goal I strive for so I can continue to improve my writing. Connor has a distinct voice that is clear, concise, and structured, but informative enough to minimize confusion and miscommunication. It makes sense since he is capable of being a negotiator, which requires one to articulate clearly and accurately.
> 
> I have thrown around a few ideas for other 'Detroit: Become Human' fics, but I have a tendency to not followup on ideas because I lose interest or am stuck in writer's block hell indefinitely. At least I put this out there, just in case. Little what-ifs try to fill in gaps in the lore is always fun for me.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


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